Fork question - difference between free ride/xc etc

anytear691

what is difference between - All mountain, free ride and XC.

as far as Im concerned If I go off for a day riding im going cross coutry but I'll do jumps and drop offs etc, and if I stumble accross a bike park Ill do the table tops for a bits of a laugh. so i seem to cover everything in a full day, surely xc should be an allrounder for evrything??

Just confusing when buying a fork, for me anyway.

Cheers, Sam

supersonic

Different manufacturers have different takes - but XC is usually the long rides, with the least challenging terrain. Trail riding your general stuff, All Mountain usually covers a bit of everything, while freeride is your big loony riding.

anytear691

thanks supersonic but I still dont get it, big loony riding? trail riding? If your gonna get an allday fork is it best to go for something linmke Marzocchi all moountain?

nicklouse

well it all depends on the bike, and what the frame is designed for. Sounds like you need something like a Pike with a 20mm axle.

nismo nick

I'd say go for something with adjustable travel, that way if your just riding around smooth trails in your local woods, you can lower the travel for that more XC stance. On the other hand if you want to ride something with a more aggressive terrain, you can up the travel according to your needs.

I've ridden these recently on a friends short travel full suspension bike, and are superb! The only downside is you have to run a 20mm bolt through axle, but that just means a new hub in the front, which ultimately means a stiffer track, which is a good thing.

dirtbiker100

yeah sounds like you need something along the pike lines that nick louse mentioned. don't get an all out XC fork as you'll destroy it pretty quick. I'd describe you as an all mountain rider. depending on the sizes of the jumps and drops you could be a freerider at times. XC is much more lightweight and won't do jumps or drop off's. a true XC'er won't be able to do a jump :twisted: sorry! a trail rider will be able to get airtime to an extent. all mountain will enjoy drop off's, jumps and a bit of light DH thrown in too. has that made it more difficult?

for comparison i'd describe myself as a hardcore all mountain rider. doing red black XC trails like cwmcarn, glentress, innerleithen, afan are good fun but if i can find a 10ft+ drop or 15ft+ long jump along the way i'll happily launch off. Will also be very happy if i come across a DH run. my bike is in my sig.

god1406

dirtbiker, that Marin is lurvley

anytear691: my Fox Vanilla's have stood up well and I ride the sort of things you described. However, I used Marzocchi EXRs on my last bike, and they were also up for some abuse, so the 'XC' label given to some forks is possibly understating what they are actually capable of.

They aren't 20mm, and i've snapped 5 front axles on my other bike...

Probably would be a good idea to go for 20mm.

anytear691

cheers guys!